Monday - Friday, 6-9 a.m.

Host Tom Temin brings you the latest news affecting the federal community each weekday morning, featuring interviews with top government executives and contractors. Listen live from 6 to 9 a.m. or download archived interviews below.

The Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air. In today's news, a privacy board says NSA's collection of data is legal, and State's representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan retires.

The General Services Administration and the Homeland Security Department are putting the final touches on the next set of contracts under the $6 billion continuous diagnostics and mitigation program. Jim Piche, a group manager at GSA's FEDSIM office, oversees the management and administration of the CDM contract. He tells Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller what's on tap for the CDM program. Read Jason's related article.

Federal officials say they're making changes to a program that was designed to let agencies use commercial hardware and software in national security systems. Until now, it hasn't moved nearly as quickly as commercial technology. Federal News Radio's DoD reporter Jared Serbu reports. Read Jared's related article.

The Agriculture Department is trying to bring new and younger blood into farming and ranching. It has launched a website to serve as a one-stop resource for new farmers. That's just the latest move. Krysta Harden is deputy secretary at the Agriculture Department. She joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive and said a lot of initiatives are needed, considering the average U.S. farmer or rancher is 58 years old.

The pictures are both heartbreaking and maddening. Thousands of minors pouring over the Mexican border into the United States, and causing havoc for guards and other federal employees. A new House bill would let the President appoint dozens of new immigration judges to help keep up with the flow of humanity. Cristina Marcos, a staff writer for The Hill Newspaper, joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the bill's prospects and potential benefits.

When federal agencies have a job opening, they tend to horde their candidates. And there's little sharing of candidate evaluation when someone does apply for a job at more than one agency. A new bill from Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) would change that by having agencies pool their candidates. John Palguta, vice president for policy at the Partnership for Public Service, joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss if the bill is a good idea.

The Obama Administration has waited until now to submit its overseas contingency operations budget to Congress. That's because the President had yet to determine how many troops would stay in Afghanistan. Now, the request for fiscal 2015 is $58.6 billion. Federal News Radio's DoD Reporter Jared Serbu told Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive that the Pentagon's request is well below what many observers had expected. Read Jared's related article.

The Defense Department is shaking up the $380 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Yesterday, Lt. Gen. Christopher Bodgan, the program director, explained how the Pentagon was asking major contractors to put skin in the game and invest in cost-reduction measures. In the second part of his interview with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive, Bogdan takes a long-term view on the Pentagon's sometimes rocky relationship with Lockheed Martin and other key players.

The Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air. In today's news, SSA creates a plan to help the White House cut red tape, and the Pentagon will send more troops to Iraq.

The barriers for hiring interns are getting lower. Nowadays, you don't even have to give them a desk. The State Department is recruiting students from around the world to serve as virtual interns at several agencies. The students do real projects but sometimes from half a world away. Program Manager Bridget Roddy joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the Virtual Student Foreign Service Program.

The shrinking Defense Department budget has the Pentagon looking for alternatives to fund its most expensive program. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program has faced years of delays and skyrocketing costs. Now, the Pentagon has a new strategy to control the F-35's bottom line. It is asking the builders to put skin in the game. Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan is the F-35 program director. He described the F-35's progress as slow but steady, when he joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is making drinking water safer in Kenya and Uganda. It's a bread and butter issue for the development agency, but the solution is different. Jill Boezwinkle has taken a crowd-sourced idea and turned it into reality in the Dispensers for Safe Water program. Now, she is a finalist in the national security and international affairs category of the 2014 Sammies awards. She joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss her role in the Dispensers for Safe Water program.

The Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air. In today's news, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will meet with VA secretary nominee Robert McDonald, and special forces arrive in Baghdad.

The Obama administration has set a bunch of new performance goals for individual agencies and for cross-agency priorities. They've come out as part of the 2015 budget preparations. Cross-agency goals concern missions such as cybersecurity, insider threats, job creation and STEM education. Agency goals involve each department. And then come the overarching goals, like open government, customer service and strategic sourcing. Jitinder Kohli, a director in Deloitte Consulting's public sector practice, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss the 115 goals spread across government.

The Supreme Court has ruled to curb the President's power to make recess appoints. Basically, the court says the Senate has to really be in recess. And even if it's only keeping the lights on for light business and blocking appointments, that means it is open. John Elwood is a partner at the law firm Vinson & Elkins. As a former Justice assistant solicitor general and White House Counsel, he's argued seven cases before the Supreme Court. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss what the ruling means for future appointees.

Federal employees are singing the President's praises this week. He is calling on agency managers to expand workplace flexibilities. Federal News Radio's Web Manager Julia Ziegler spoke with Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive about the President's new memo.

When a nurse manager at a Veterans Affairs medical center in Albany, New York, saw a patient being unnecessarily kept in restraints for seven hours, she couldn't remain silent. But little did Valerie Riviello know that her actions as a whistleblower would start her down on a path of retaliation from her coworkers.

The Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air. In today's news, a new bill allows agencies to share information on job candidates among each other, and the FAA wants to lower the maximum building height around airports.

A series of management blunders and agency misbehavior in recent years ranging from the General Services Administration to the Veterans Affairs Department, haven't only put agency leaders in the hot seat — and sometimes out of work. They've also highlighted the importance of better risk-management planning by agencies, current and former federal officials told Federal News Radio as part of a special discussion on risk management.